90-year-old waits 4 days for operation

A 90-YEAR-OLD woman with dementia who broke her hip last Friday had to wait four days for an operation.

Staff at Cork University Hospital (CUH) blamed the delay on the bank holiday weekend closure of several operating theatres, said a close family friend.

The Health Service Executive was unable to comment before deadline last night.

The woman fell in the north Cork nursing home in which she lives in the early hours of last Friday. She broke her left hip and was taken by ambulance to CUH at about 4am. She was assessed and scheduled for an operation that day.

She was instructed to fast and was placed on a drip, but the procedure was postponed as other cases were prioritised.

The injured woman was placed in a ward bed and medicated for pain. She was scheduled for the operation on Saturday, and again on Sunday. She finally underwent the procedure at about midday on Monday and is expected to remain in CUH for up to two weeks.

Family friend Anne Healy described the delay as appalling.

“The staff at CUH and the surgeon, in particular, couldn’t have been nicer. They were so kind and they were so apologetic,” she said. “But I have known this woman since I was a child. And to see her like this over the weekend, confused and in pain waiting for the operation, it was just so distressing. I was appalled and upset.

“She has been a staunch Fianna Fáil supporter all her life and for this to happen to her at her age, and because of a lack of resources and staff, particularly over a bank holiday weekend, it’s just appalling. I have written to Mary Harney, Brendan Drumm and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern about it, for what good it will do me.”

Ms Healy said the hospital staff told her some post-op patients are being placed on trolleys because there are not enough beds.